Customer Reviews

Mind Siege: The Battle for the Truth in the New Millennium (Workbook)

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1 star:		(16)

 

 

It seems like many reviews here are from misguided enthusiasts or bitter dissenters [who often are speaking out of bad experiences with organized religion]. Shrill is shrill, whether you love it or hate it.
I am writing as one who would be characterized as an evangelical Christian and yet has significant problems with this book. First of all, its descriptive categories are woefully inadequate. While there might be a small number of card-carrying 'secular humanists', the term for the most part is an astounding oversimplication of multiple ideas and activities coming from diverse sources. Secular humanism is a categorical strawman that lost its currency, if it ever had any, decades ago.
Another enormous problem with this book is its idea of Christian America. While history does reflect a Christian presence in this country [though in multiple theological / experiential forms], the idea of a monolithic Christian America just isn't true. Not only does this ignore the religious beliefs and practices of Native Americans, but also the presence of other religious beliefs [minority though they were]. It also downplays the substantial influence of the Enlightenment on the 'founding fathers.' It ignores the many other reasons people came to this country, and the fact that they were loosely assembled groups with different beliefs and governments until the Revolution. As a Christian, I am so weary of hearing this 'return to the glory days' schtick. Those glory days were as corrupt and complex as our own day.
The most serious problem I have with the book, which is also why I think there is so much emphasis on America as a Christian nation, is the conflation of nation and church. Don't confuse them. Christians should be the church: proclaiming the gospel, participating in worship and sacraments, taking care of the widows and orphans. Lahaye's view of the end times, fleshed out in the 'Left Behind' series, is the dominant view in the Christian subculture, but one that is a particularly American phenomenon [Read Mark Noll's Scandal of the Evangelical Mind].
One fianl comment: Christians who politicize and nationalize their faith ultimately marginalize their faith, reducing the body of Christ to a special interest group. Talk about a mind siege.

As a humanist I was shocked to find out so much that I never knew about myself. First, I discovered that--even though I have volunteered in Literacy Volunteers, and frequently donate and collect food for the poor, and neither murder, lie, cheat on my wife, or steal--I am "amoral." Second, I discovered that I am part of a vast conspiracy to corrupt America's political and educational systems--funny, I must have forgotten to attend those World Domination planning meetings. And as a humanist, I was amazed to learn how much control and dirty, atheistic influence I have over our culture, in spite of the fact that US currency bears the motto "In God We Trust," my TV is saturated with Christian programming and advertising, and my leaders openly profess Christian faith while gleefully alienating me from the dialogue about this country's social problems. Tim LaHaye has labelled me as the root of all of evil, which is sad coming from an author who breaks the commandment to not bear false witness more times than I can count in this book, and who will rake in a cool profit for himself out of promoting slander and lies at my expense. Now THAT's "amoral."

In this day and age far too many people call themselves Christians, they go to church, they sing their hymns, they put money into the offering plates. They may go to the Sunday school classes, they may shake hands, they may even say "I strive to live the Sermon on the Mount".

Yet how many Christians it seems truly knows what Christianity is up against in this day and age? How many Christian fathers and mothers know about the secularism being taught in schools, about the political correct Nazis spout out by groups like NOW and people like Al Gore, about teachers telling our kids its all right to do this or that "because we're all just evolved animals anyway."

Tim LaHaye, like Josh McDowell and several others, has hit the nail on the head with this book. In section by section, he takes on full force the problems facing the decline in American values. So many liberals have tried to take Christianity out of the Founding Fathers, so many liberals have tried to say it's ok to kill babies by calling it "a woman's choice to have an abortion" (since...again, we're all just "evolved animals"). So many have tried to make the guilty free and the innocent blamed/or forgotten in our court systems (O.J. Simpson comes to mind).

It's got to stop.

As this book shows, when we enter into our jobs and our kids enter the schools, it's not just another day, it's another spiritual skirmish between God and Satan. As an educator myself, I have seen the PC groups and humanism in action. It's ok to teach Hinduism and paganism in the classrooms, it's all right to give our children condoms (when we really should be giving them common sense), but these "tolerant hounds" have a hiss attack if one tries to bring moral values into the school buildings, office buildings, and courts.

Of course, this book is Not about several things. This book is Not about hurting groups such as homosexuals. This book is Not about bombing abortion clinics. This book is Not about forcing people to become Christian. Such things were Never taught in the Bible, though sadly some people have made their own doctrines of evil under the title of Christianity--and even worse, the liberal media has clumped truth loving Christians with violent monglers and false prophets.

Thankfully, Tim LaHaye puts the proof on the table for Christianity for all to see, in this book. With fearlessness and love toward all sinners, the Bible truths are spoken.

Tim LaHaye's book should be read with a complete understanding that Christianity is not just a "feeling good about oneself on Sunday" idea...it's standing up with a total and honest conviction that the Bible is indeed right and that the world and the world's prince is wrong. The Christian community should of course always love the sinner and hate the sin, but should also be willing to speak out about what the Bible specifically says is right and wrong... that is what Tim LaHaye does with this book. He takes the sword of truth and successfully combats the lies of humanism, secularism, evolution, and paganism. He also invites every firm Christian believer to do the same, to help bring people out of the darkness and into the grace giving light of Christ...the Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth.

I would also suggest the wonderful books by Dr. James Kennedy such as "Why I Believe" and "What if Jesus had Never Been Born".

I got this book before I went to college, in that liberal age where you want to understand all that is encompassed in this reality. With a lot of open-mindedness, I made it through. Having re-read it recently as an 'upper-middleclass' taxpayer, I'm ashamed to have supported Tim LaHaye with my book purchase.

The problem with the book has nothing to do with words or editing skill. It has to do with several Christian-built-ins post-Reagan. This fanatical Christian-minority really got its foothold there. People like LaHaye have stolen Christianity from the Christians. In this, LaHaye pounds home that Christians need to fight back. Mostly against love, open-ness, understanding, compassion, and other founding Christian principles. He wants us to defend the lunatic fringes view points of inequality amongst sexuality, races, genders, economic principles, social conditions...

It's strange. Christianity was doing fine when it was allowed to be taken for it's good qualities. Don't lie, cheat, steal, kill, etc, it's really easy to get behind these and they bring Christianity out as a force of good. To demand people toe the line to the precise antique, perverted, interpretation of the bible is sick. Hopefully it will have LaHaye's desired effect, to end Christianity and its present influence and present corruption.

This book is an outstanding survey of today's culture and how it arrived. Not only does it serve as a biblical looking-glass for today's American society, but it also serves as a history lesson of Secular Humanism and its rise to dominance in the 20th Century.

Those of us who study the Bible know that one of the overriding themes is that Man, by nature, will almost always pridefully reject God and claim that he (Man) is self-sufficient. The Babylonians built a tower and said, "We will be like God." Lucifer's fall was a result of the same pride. The Bible says that the lost "call evil good, and good evil." Isn't that apparent in America today when hunting an animal for food is deemed evil while killing an unborn child is considered good?

One of the biggest Humanist beliefs is that "there is no absolute right and wrong." If that were the case, then there would be no reason to abstain from ANY acitivity (including rape, murder, and -- gasp! -- INTOLERANCE!) Of course, it is arguable what exactly is right and what exactly is wrong. But no one can successfully argue that no right and wrong exists. Imagine the chaos that would ensue (and that surely will ensue before this century is over!)

I'm not sure if and how this ridiculous tide can be reversed, but I know that I will go to great lengths to make sure my children are raised to know the Truth.

I highly recommend this bood for anyone who needs a wake-up call!

LaHaye and Noebel are calling Christians to come forward and become involved in the affairs of the world. For too long, believers have kept their beliefs in the church rather than out in the world. The book calls for us to adopt a Christian worldview as well as become involved in our communities.

The book is generally divided into three parts. The first part is a hypothetical case showing us where America is heading. The father in this case is talking with his son about school. Although the case seems far-fetched, many of the things mentioned have already happened, or are just a few steps away from happening.

The next part is about how America is getting to the point illustrated in the case. Primarily, it is through the inactivity of Christians politically to confront secular humanism that we have let these things happen, which leads to the third part, the authors' call to action.

Although I found a few logical fallacies in the argument, the overall argument is true. If you are worried about where America is going morally, then I recommend you read this book. There is also a bibliography of suggested readings.

It seems that the people who gave this book a negative review are anti-Christian or Humanist (many admittedly) and therefore have an existing world-view that distorts their thinking on this topic.

The issues raised by LaHaye are thought-provoking and should be a concern to every citizen.

Mr. Tim LaHaye's book, "Mind Siege" contests that there is a conspiracy by "secular humanists" to destroy religion, advance evolution, spread amoralism, and promote One World Government.

The book reads like an anti-Semitic tract from the 19th century. This huge conspiracy controls the media, the government, the courts, and hundreds of associations and non-governmental organizations. Together they work to collaborate to destroy America and its Christian foundations.

The book relies to a considerable extent on quoting the Humanist Manifesto, a document that has few adherents. It also quotes the Humanist Magazine, the "official organ" of the movement. The last time I checked, the magazine's circulation was so tiny as to be embarrassing. How many Card Carrying Secular Humanist have you met? So, how can Humanists have such power? They don't--they have little influence, and with the evangelical revival underway in the U.S., their influence here is in steep decline. So, like Jews of old, who better to blame for the World's ills? Who knows them? Who would miss them? To the camps!

The book is a paean to ignorance and lack of research. In two sections, Mr. LaHaye states that the Humanists control The Netherlands and Sweden, and have brought morality to these nations to horrific lows. But facts prove otherwise. While it is true nearly one in four Dutch are Atheist, a recent Reader's Digest experiment also showed them MORE honest than their US counterparts. Moreover, both the Netherlands and Sweden are considered less corrupt than the U.S., according to Transparency International. The lightest research would also have shown Mr. LaHaye that 90 percent, or more, of all Swedes belong to Lutheran Church of Sweden (we guess they are all Fifth Column Humanists). Mr. LaHaye wouldn't know this, of course: his endnotes are thick with old secondary sources or Evangelical Christian tracts, not original material.

There are many cultural problems in the U.S that Mr. LaHaye lays at the feet of "secular humanists." However, if Mr. LaHaye had done any real research, he would have seen "secular humanists" decrying the very same problems. Steve Allen, signatory to the Humanist Manifesto, fought vocally against television's "moral sewer." Journals associated with skepticism and Humanism denounce notions like feminist science, New Age religions, and other nonsense. Yet, Mr. LaHaye sees these people not as compatriots, but as evil incarnate.

This book is inflammatory and dangerous. Mr. LaHaye states that "secular humanists" are traitors to the U.S. and must not be permitted in government. He calls for the seizure of the government by Christians (peacefully), and for the nation to pass laws based upon evangelical Christian viewpoints. He seems to be unable separate law of God and man, and wants his version of the eternal truths made law on Earth. Works well in Afghanistan!

Mr. LaHaye's book is well organized and his writing style, while a vision of ignorance, is easy and clean. However, he incessantly modifies quotes with his own material that some readers will mistake as being in the original. The book contains no photos, graphs, charts, or historical data to bolster the authors contention we're heading for Gomorrah. As noted, the endnotes indicate a lazy research regime; they also would have better served the reader if they were put at the end of each chapter. But the editor apparently didn't think the reader was serious: he left the index out entirely!

Mr. LaHaye urges the reader to buy more copies of the book to share with friends and relatives. In this reviewer's opinion, if you get this book, promptly dispose of it!

If you want to know what has distorted our culture and infected our Federal Government-- read this book. As a staff member for a Congressman, I see these forces working in unseen ways that the average Christian does not get the opportunity to see or flatly ignores. This book illustrates why politics is an EXCELLENT, though trying, profession for Christians and why Christians have a civic duty to be involved.

Some write in saying this book is hogwash. If you are a believer and believe in absolute truth, you will read and learn. No doubt about it. You will learn why you must pray for elected officials who share your viewpoints. They are the ones who stand between you and Humanist tyranny.

I was tempted to give this book one star, but found it too entertaining to warrant so low a rating. I could go on endlessly about all its flaws (I'll mention a few of the more absurd/offensive ones farther down), but I think I should start on the positive. This book does provide a fascinating insight into the mind of a modernity-fearing Fundamentalist Christian, all the neuroses there in plain view or requiring only minor reading between the lines. "Mind Siege" is an appropriate title, though not perhaps for the reasons the authors intended.

Among the idocies encountered, the most notable include: The authors' choice to place Judaism and Christianity under Wisdom of God but Islam under Wisdom of Man. If this book had been written 30 years ago, Judaism probably would have been under Wisdom of Man as well. Obviously, the authors feel the effects of politcal correctness.
The assertion that Marxists, evolutionists, feminists, pagans, New Agers, globalists, environmentalists are all part of the humanist conspiracy. As if a New Ager and an evolutionist or a globalist and an environmentalist have a lot to agree on.
The idea that only Judeo-Christians are capable of advancing science.

Anyway, despite all my complaints, I highly recommend everyone purchase and read this book.... There is a spiritual war on, and it seems to be between those who feel that their reading (Wisdom of Man) of the Bible is the only correct one and must be imposed through violence (not the explicit violence of terrorism but the implicit violence of government) and, well, everyone else. It's good to know which side one is on.